Corner of the Library

Attribution confirmed

2011-06-14T13:39:00.002-04:00

I have confirmed that The Grateful Ghosts was indeed written by Mrs. Oliphant's son Cecco". She makes reference to "Cecco's Grateful Ghosts" on page 330 of the 1899 edition of her Autobiography.

The Grateful Ghosts - attributed to Cecco Oliphant

2011-06-14T12:25:00.002-04:00

The Grateful Ghosts
attributed to Francis Romano ("Cecco") Oliphant
Blackwood's Ediburgh Magazine, Volume 139, January 1886, page 108

This story is unsigned as it appears in Blackwood's. It has been attributed to Mrs. Oliphant's son, Francis Romano ("Cecco") Oliphant by Linda H. Peterson in Two Traditions of Victorian Women's Autobiography, University of Virginia Press, 1999, page 163.

I would be grateful for further information on whether this attribution is correct.

John Inglesant - Review by Mrs. Oliphant

2011-06-10T12:36:00.003-04:00

John Inglesant - Review by Mrs. Oliphant
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine
Volume 131, January to June 1882, page 365

A Hidden Treasure - by Mrs. Oliphant

2011-06-05T10:57:00.002-04:00

A Hidden Treasure
by Mrs. Oliphant
Argosy Magazine, Volume 1, 1866, page 149

Miss Braddon at Home

2011-06-04T00:04:00.002-04:00

Miss Braddon at Home
by Joseph Hatton
London Society, Volume 53, page 22, 1888

Two Gentlemen of Virginia

2011-06-02T14:52:00.002-04:00

Two Gentlemen of Virginia
A Novel of the Old Regime in the Old Dominion
by George Cary Eggleston
New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1908

The novel opens in Richmond, Virginia in the year 1857.

The Craft of Fiction by Percy Lubbock

2011-05-30T12:56:00.001-04:00

The Craft of Fiction
by Percy Lubbock
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1921

Virginia Life in Fiction

2011-05-28T21:29:00.002-04:00

Virginia Life in Fiction
by Jay Broadus Hubbell
Dallas, 1922

Washington in Fiction

2011-05-20T09:45:00.001-04:00

Washington in Fiction
by Frances Weston Carruth
The Bookman, Volume 15, page 451, 1902

The Washingtonians - by Pauline Bradford Mackie

2011-05-13T13:10:00.003-04:00

The Washingtonians
by Pauline Bradford Mackie
Boston: L. C. Page and Company, 1902

The Washingtonians presents a fictional portrait of Kate Chase Sprague, daughter of Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury during the administration of Abraham Lincoln. The story begins in the fall of 1864 and focuses on Kate, aka Portia Matthews, and her efforts to help her father secure the Republican nomination for president in the upcoming election.

The novel is well written and is very interesting to all who are familiar with the history of the time and the dynamics of the members of the Lincoln administration. Kate Chase was a fascinating woman, and this novel provides a glimpse of her private life.

New York In Fiction - by Arthur Bartlett Maurice

2011-05-11T14:49:00.001-04:00

New York In Fiction
by Arthur Bartlett Maurice
New York: Dodd, Meade and Company, 1901

De Grey - A Romance by Henry James

2011-05-10T10:28:00.002-04:00

De Grey - A Romance
by Henry James
Atlantic Monthly Vol 22, 1868, page 57

At Chrighton Abbey by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

2011-05-07T14:17:00.003-04:00

At Chrighton Abbey
by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
As published in Volume III of Milly Darrell and Other Tales
London: John Maxwell and Co., 1873

A ghost story.

Bestseller of 1908 - Peter

2011-05-06T10:42:00.001-04:00

Peter
by F. Hopkinson Smith
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1908

A bestseller for the year 1908.

John Granger - A Ghost Story

2011-05-04T00:14:00.003-04:00

John Granger - A Ghost Story
by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Available Barnes & Noble as a Nook book.
Available at Amazon.com for Kindle.
Available at Google Books for free download

A ghost returns to the scene of his murder to give clues to the identity of his murderer.

Boston - A 1903 Guidebook

2011-04-24T20:14:00.003-04:00

Boston - A Guidebook
by Edwin M. Bacon
Boston: Ginn and Company, Publishers, 1903

Boston in Fiction

2011-04-22T14:03:00.001-04:00

Boston in Fiction by Frances Weston Carruth
The Bookman, Vol 14, September 1901 - February 1902
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

Ghost Stories and Tales of the Supernatural

2011-04-22T10:35:00.002-04:00

Ghost Stories and Tales of the Supernatural
Compiled by Jean Hawkins
Boston: The Boston Book Company, 1909

A list of ghost stories compiled by a librarian.

A Christmas Tale by Mrs. Oliphant

2011-04-21T14:50:00.003-04:00

A Christmas Tale
by Mrs. Oliphant
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine
Volume 81, January 1857, page 74

The title of this short story is a misnomer: Christmas has nothing to do with the plot. This is well worth reading. Mrs. Oliphant does a masterful job in building suspense and a sense of terror.

The narrator finds himself stranded at a rural English train station after missing a connection. The local squire invites the narrator to his home for dinner, and the story develops from there. A compelling read.

William Dean Howells - A Critical Study

2011-04-19T12:45:00.002-04:00

William Dean Howells - A Critical Study
by Delmar Cross Cooke
New York: E. P. Dutton & Company, 1922

My Life: The Memoirs of Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya

2011-04-18T09:44:00.002-04:00

My Life: The Memoirs of Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya
ISBN-10 0776630423
ISBN-13: 978-0776630427
Available at Amazon

I have just ordered a copy of this book which I am certain will prove to be an important contribution to the English language library of memoirs written by Tolstoy's family members and friends. The tumultuous nature of the marriage of Sofia and Leo Tolstoy has been the subject of a number of books over the decades, but what better way to get Sofia's point of view than from her own pen.

Harper's Library of Select Novels

2011-04-15T16:03:00.002-04:00

Harper's Library of Select Novels
Another list for collectors.

Count Tolstoy at Home

2011-04-15T15:29:00.000-04:00

Count Tolstoy at Home
by Isabel Hapgood

Thou Shalt Not Kill - by Leo Tolstoy

2011-03-30T16:05:00.001-04:00

Thou Shalt Not Kill
by Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy on the Russo-Japanese War

2011-03-30T10:52:00.002-04:00

Bethink Yourselves!
Count Tolstoy on the War
Translated by Vladimir Chertkov
The Living Age, Volume 242, 1904, page 257

Congratulations VCU!

2011-03-27T17:08:00.002-04:00

VCU is on its way to the final four in the NCAA championships. Congratulations!

Vasari's Lives of the Artists - Leonardo

2011-03-09T19:10:00.002-05:00

Vasari's Lives of the Artists
by Giorgio Vasary
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1896
Leonardo da Vinci , Florentine Painter and Sculptor

Jealousy as a theme in literature

2011-02-27T12:13:00.005-05:00

Kreutzer Sonata
by Leo Tolstoy

He Knew He Was Right
by Anthony Trollope

The Vehement Flame
by Margaret Deland

Griffith Gaunt or Jealousy
by Charles Reade

Othello
by William Shakespeare

Vasari's Lives of the Artists - Andrea Tafi

2011-02-25T18:58:00.003-05:00

Vasari's Lives of the Artists
Andrea Tafi, Painter of Florence
(1213-1294)
London: Henry Bohn & Co., 1850, Volume 1, page 77

Vasari's Lives of the Artists - Niccolo and Giovanni of Pisa

2011-02-23T15:06:00.003-05:00

Vasari's Lives of the Artists
Niccolo and Giovanni, Sculptors and Architects of Pisa
(Niccolo born c. 1205, died 1278) (Giovanni born __, died 1320)
London: Henry Bohn & Co., 1850, Volume 1, page 60

Vasari's Lives of the Artists - Arnolfo di Lapo

2011-02-21T23:48:00.002-05:00

Vasari's Lives of the Artists
Arnolfo di Lapo, Architect of Florence
(1232-1310)
In the translation by Mrs. Jonathan Foster
London: Henry G. Bohn, 1850

Vasari's Lives of the Artists - Cimabue

2011-02-20T15:58:00.002-05:00

Vasari's Lives of the Artists
Giovanni Cimabue, Florentine Painter
(Born 1240 - Died 1303)
In the translation by Mrs. Jonathan Foster
London: Henry G. Bohn, 1850

Fictional portrait of Tolstoy's sister

2011-02-19T18:27:00.002-05:00

Faust - A Story in Nine Letters
by Ivan Turgenev
In A Lear of the Steppes and Other Stories
New York: Macmillan and Co., 1898

First published in 1855, the character Vera in Ivan Turgenev's Faust is said to be a fictional portrait of Leo Tolstoy's sister, Mariya Nikolayevna Tolstaya. The story is said to have infuriated Tolstoy. The relationship between Mariya Nikolayevna and Turgenev was in part to blame for the rift between Tolstoy and Turgenev.

Tolstoy's last days as related by his sister

2011-02-18T13:14:00.002-05:00

Reminiscences of Tolstoy
by his son, Ilya Lvovich Tolstoy
Translated by George Calderon
New York: The Century Co., 1914

Letter from Mariya Nikolayevna Tolstaya to Sofia (aka Sonya) Tolstaya. Page 388.

On April 22, 1911, Tolstoy's sister, Mariya Nikolayevna Tolstaya (aka Masha), wrote to Tolstoy's wife, Sonya. She was responding to a letter from Sonya. Mariya relates her thoughts on Tolstoy's flight from home in October 1910, his visit to her at Shamardino, his reasons for leaving home, and on his death. The letter is full of compassion for Sonya while, at the same time, acknowledging that something must have been wrong for Tolstoy have come to the decision to leave his beloved Yasnaya Polyana.

The Decembrists by Leo Tolstoy

2011-02-17T11:39:00.002-05:00

The Decembrists - A Fragment
by Leo Tolstoy
As published in Volume 12 of the Complete Works of Count Lev N. Tolstoy
Translated and edited by Leo Wiener
Boston: Dana Estes & Company, 1904

An unfinished novel by Leo Tolstoy. Natasha and Pierre, of War and Peace fame, appear in this fragment as an older couple.

Mrs. Henry Wood - by Adeline Sergeant

2011-02-13T17:14:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Henry Wood
by Adeline Sergeant
From Women Novelists of Queen Victoria's Reign
London: Hurst & Blackett, Limited, 1897

David Garth - by Mrs Henry Wood

2011-02-13T10:52:00.004-05:00

First published in Argosy, Volume VIII, December 1869, page 444:
David Garth's Night-Watch

First published in Argosy, Volume XI, January 1871, page 36:
David Garth's Ghost

by Mrs. Henry Wood

Two of Mrs. Wood's supernatural tales from the Johnny Ludlow series.

Charlotte Bronte - A Monograph by T. Wemyss Reid

2011-02-11T09:01:00.001-05:00

Charlotte Bronte - A Monograph
By T. Wemyss Reid
New York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1877

Reminiscences of Charlotte Bronte by Ellen Nussey

2011-02-03T13:39:00.002-05:00

Reminiscences of Charlotte Bronte
by Ellen Nussey
As reprinted in Transactions and Publications of the Bronte Society
Volume 2, 1906

Emily Bronte by Agnes Mary F. Robinson

2011-02-03T12:45:00.002-05:00

Emily Bronte
by Agnes Mary F. Robinson
London: W.H. Allen and Co., 1883

Emma - fragment of a story by Charlotte Bronte

2011-01-30T10:37:00.003-05:00

Emma - Fragment of a Story by Charlotte Bronte
With an introduction by William Makepeace Thackeray
First published in Cornhill Magazine, Volume I, 1860

The Last Chronicle of Barset - Barchester Chronicles #6

2011-01-29T14:02:00.004-05:00

The Last Chronicle of Barset
by Anthony Trollope
Book 6 in the Barchester Chronicles
With illustrations by George W. Thomas
London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1869

Volume 1
Volume 2

The Small House at Allington - Barchester Chronicles #5

2011-01-28T14:48:00.001-05:00

The Small House at Allington
by Anthony Trollope
Barchester Chronicles Book 5

Framley Parsonage - Chronicles of Barchester #4

2011-01-25T20:21:00.002-05:00

Framley Parsonage
Volume I
Volume II
by Anthony Trollope
Book 4 in the Barchester Chronicles series.

The Deadliest Book Review

2011-01-21T20:28:00.001-05:00

The Deadliest Book Review
by Peter Duffy
New York Times, January 14, 2011

Jane Austen - Her Homes and Her Friends

2011-01-17T09:29:00.002-05:00

Jane Austen - Her Homes and Her Friends
by Constance Hill
London and New York: John Lane, 1902

Two sisters visit places associated with Jane Austen. A delightful travel book.

Appletons' Town and Country Library

2011-01-14T19:00:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I discovered that from 1881 to about 1900 Appletons published a series of novels semi-monthly in a series they called Appletons' Town and Country Library. The novels are mostly, if not all, reprints and are by American and English and European authors. Of course my initial reaction was, as I'm sure the publisher hoped, I want them all! According to what information I've been able to find (and surprisingly I haven't found much), each novel was printed in both paperback and cloth editions. I downloaded two from Google Books and began reading one, The Silence of Dean Maitland by Maxwell Gray, No. 9 in the series. This is one of the country novels, set in the English countryside. It begins on a winter evening with Alma Lee trudging up a steep hill laden with parcels. The atmosphere is wonderfully drawn. What I've read so far I like. As I've said before, whether I finish reading a book depends on whether I care about what happens to the characters. To this point I do care about what happens to Alma. And I want to know what Dean Maitland is silent about; and why is he silent?

For those of you who are interested, here is a link to a list of 280 titles in the Town and Country Library. I have found another seven titles which do not appear on this list, and then it seems the series was ended. I think it was a brilliant market ploy and one that I was surprised to find in the 19th century book trade. I wish I knew more about the series, such as whose idea was it and why did it end.

Ellen Glasgow Photo

2011-01-13T18:30:00.002-05:00

I have not seen this photo of Ellen Glasgow before. I found it in Literary News, Volume 23, 1902, page 165.

Dr. Thorne - Chronicles of Barchester

2011-01-13T12:56:00.002-05:00

Dr. Thorne
by Anthony Trollope

Chronicles of Barchester Book 3.

Barchester Towers - Barchester Chronicles

2011-01-11T11:46:00.001-05:00

Barchester Towers
by Anthony Trollope

Book 2 of the Barchester Chronicles series

The Warden - Book 1 of the Barchester Chronicles

2011-01-09T09:40:00.001-05:00

The Warden
by Anthony Trollope

Book 1 of The Barchester Chronicles.

Map of Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire

2011-01-08T21:10:00.002-05:00

Map of Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire - wonderful for all fans of the Barchester Chronicles.

Miss Austen and Miss Mitford by Mrs. Oliphant

2011-01-07T18:30:00.003-05:00

Miss Austen and Miss Mitford
by Margaret Oliphant
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 107, March 1870, pages 290-313

Phoebe Junior - Chronicles of Carlingford

2011-01-04T13:54:00.002-05:00

Phoebe Junior - A Last Chronicle of Carlingford
by Mrs. Oliphant
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
London: Hurst and Blackett, 1876

Book 7 in the Chronicles of Carlingford

Miss Marjoriebanks - Chronicles of Carlingford

2011-01-02T20:04:00.002-05:00

Miss Marjoriebanks
by Mrs. Oliphant
New York: Harper and Brothers, 1867

Book 6 in the Chronicles of Carlingford
First published in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, February 1865 to May 1866

The Perputual Curate - Chronicles of Carlingford

2011-01-01T16:49:00.003-05:00

The Perpetual Curate
by Mrs. Oliphant
New York: Harris & Brothers, 1865

Book 5 in the Chronicles of Carlingford
First published in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, June 1863 to September 1864.

Salem Chapel - Chronicles of Carlingford

2010-12-31T13:07:00.002-05:00

Salem Chapel
by Mrs. Oliphant
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1865

Book 4 in the Chronicles of Carlingford.
First published in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, February 1862 to January 1863.

The Rector and The Doctor's Family - Chronicles of Carlingford

2010-12-29T13:18:00.005-05:00

The Rector and The Doctor's Family
by Mrs. Oliphant
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1870
Books 2 and 3 in The Chronicles of Carlingford

Book 2 - The Rector - first published in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 90, September 1861

Book 3 - The Doctor's Family - first published in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volumes 90-91, October 1861 to January 1862

The Executor - Chronicles of Carlingford

2010-12-27T12:33:00.002-05:00

The Executor
Book 1 in The Chronicles of Carlingford
by Mrs. Oliphant
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1862

First published in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine,
Volume 89, May 1861

The Executor is the opening story in Mrs. Oliphant's popular series centered in the fictional town of Carlingford. It is a short story and introduces the reader to some of the major characters who will appear throughout the series.

The second story in the series, The Doctor's Family, is published in this same Harper & Brothers edition beginning on page 50.

The Victorian Age of English Literature

2010-12-26T18:31:00.002-05:00

The Victorian Age of English Literature
Volume I
Volume II
by Mrs. Oliphant
London: Percival & Co., 1892

Christmas Stories - by Charles Dickens

2010-12-22T16:34:00.001-05:00

Christmas Stories
by Charles Dickens
T. Nelson & Sons, Ltd.

Old Sue the Tug-Mule - by Thomas Nelson Page

2010-12-16T10:35:00.004-05:00

Old Sue the Tug-Mule
by Robert Nelson Page
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol 85, 1892, p 157

This very short story was published in the Editor's Drawer section of Harper's New Monthly Magazine in 1892 and included in later collections of stories by Thomas Nelson Page. While Page is noted for his use of Negro dialect, and this story is an example of that use, what was of interest to me was the vignette of Richmond, Virginia that this story gives. The action is centered on the intersection of 9th and Main Streets. Old Sue, a tug-mule, was hitched to streetcars making the turn to go up the hill on 9th to Broad Street. As I know the intersection of 9th and Broad well (the Library of Virginia is located there today), it was fascinating to get a glimpse of the past.

The narrator of the story tells us that he was able to see the intersection of 9th and Main from his office window. I know that Page practiced law in Richmond for a time, but I have no idea where his office was located. Nor do I know if this story is pure fiction or based on observations Page himself made. In either case, it is a fascinating vignette of Richmond in the late 19th century.

The Bachelor's Christmas - by Robert Grant

2010-12-13T11:06:00.002-05:00

The Bachelor's Christmas
by Robert Grant
In The Bachelor's Christmas and Other Stories
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1902

A charming Christmas story, one of my favorites!

Indian Summer - by W. D. Howells

2010-12-12T18:05:00.002-05:00

Indian Summer
by William Dean Howells
Boston: Tiknor and Company, 1886

Set in Florence, this novel gives a view of the American community there in the 1880s. It was apparently a sizeable community and quite active. The setting is of interest for it depicts Florence at the time that Henry James and Constance Fenimore Woolson were there.

Mr. Rochester's Virginia Equivalent

2010-12-08T20:31:00.003-05:00

Today in the mail I received a reprint of the diary of Elizabeth Lindsay Lomax written in Washington DC between the years 1854 and 1863. It is a charming diary, full of observations of her family, the weather, and other Washington residents. I had ordered it thinking there might be some useful information for a project I was considering.

In the entry for February 3, 1854 she writes: "Raining, snowing, blowing. Stormy without but cozy within. A perfect day for reading by one's own fireside. I have been absorbed in reading Jane Eyre. The characters must have been drawn from life with remarkable sincerity. I once knew a man like Rochester. George Wycke of Virginia. A most fascinating person."

Of course I immediately googled George Wycke but couldn't find much. There was a man by that name in Surry County, Virginia, but that's about all I could find about him. I will continue to search, for I'd like to know how he was like Mr. Rochester.

Tolstoy's Complete Works in English

2010-12-07T16:16:00.003-05:00

I have organized my digital collection of the Complete Works of Tolstoy as translated and edited by Leo Wiener and published by Dana Estes & Company in Boston and J. M. Dent & Company in London in 1904-1905. It's not that I think Wiener was the best translator of Tolstoy; I don't. In my opinion Louise and Aylmer Maude were the best 19th century translators of Tolstoy's work, and Tolstoy apparently agreed. The reason I have collected Wiener's translations is that they are readily available at Google Books, although it does take some persistence to find and download them all. (I'm still looking for Volume 18.) The Estes and Dent editions match up volume by volume in terms of content and publication date. Here is a chart showing what I have downloaded from Google Books:

Complete Works of Tolstoy
Leo Wiener, editor and translator
Boston: Dana Estes & Company
London: J.M. Dent & Company

(In my digital library as of 12-7-2010)

Volume 1	Childhood, Boyhood and Youth	London: J.M. Dent & Co. 1904
Volume 2	A Landed Proprietor The Cossacks Sevastopol	Boston: Dana Estes & Company, 1904
Volume 3	A Moscow Acquaintance The Snot-Storm Domestic Happiness Miscellaneous	Boston: Dana Estes & Company, 1904
Volume 4	Pedagogical Articles Linen-Measurer	London: J.M. Dent & Co. 1904
Volume 5	War and Peace Vol 1	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 6	War and Peace Vol 2	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 7	War and Peace Vol 3	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 8	War and Peace Vol 4 - Epilogue	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 9	Anna Karenina Vol 1	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 10	Anna Karenina Vol 2	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 11	Anna Karenina Vol 3	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 12	Fables for Children Stories for Children Natural Science Stories Popular Education Decembrists Moral Tales	New York and Boston: Colonial Press Co.
Volume 13	My Confession Critique of Dogmatic Theology	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 14	The Four Gospels Harmonized and Translated, Vol 1	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 15	The Four Gospels Harmonized and Translated, Vol 2	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 16	My Religion Thoughts on God and the Meaning of Life	London: J.M. Dent & Co. 1904
Volume 17	What Shall We Do Then? On the Moscow Census Collected Articles	London: J.J. Dent & Co. 1904
Volume 18
Volume 19	Walk in the Light While Ye Have Light Thoughts and Aphorisms Letters Miscellanies	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1905
Volume 20	The Kingdom of God Is Within You Christianity and Patriotism Miscellanies	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1905
Volume 21	Resurrection Vol 1	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 22	Resurrection Vol 2 What is Art? The Christian Teaching	Boston: Dana Estes & Co. 1904
Volume 23	Miscellaneous Letters and Essays	Boston: Dana Estes & Company 1905
Volume 24	Latest Works Life General Index Bibliography	London: J.M. Dent & Co. 1905

Miss Godwin's Inheritance - by Thomas Nelson Page

2010-12-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

Miss Godwin's Inheritance
by Thomas Nelson Page
First published in Scribner's Magazine, 1904

A story of character. This is a wonderful story. Set mostly in Maine, it tells the story of Hortensia Davison, a widow in her forties residing in an unnamed Southern city, who has wearied of the emptiness of society. She buys a house in southern Maine with the view of restoring the house and gardens to their former glory. In the process, she comes to know a local, Miss Godwin, who embodies all that Mrs. Davison had found lacking in her life. This is a beautiful story, and the portrayal of Miss Godwin is one of the best I have ever read.

Thomas Nelson Page

2010-12-05T22:50:00.002-05:00

Thomas Nelson Page
Portrait from The Book Buyer, Vol 14, February - July 1897, page 241
Biography from Library of Southern Literature, Vol 9, 1907

A Dark Night's Work - by Elizabeth Gaskell

2010-12-04T17:10:00.002-05:00

A Dark Night's Work
by Elizabeth Gaskell
London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1863

Click here for a review of this story of deception by Elizabeth Gaskell. The review was published in The British Quarterly Review, Volume 45, January and April, 1867, page 415, last paragraph on the page.

Margery - by E. F. Benson

2010-12-03T19:17:00.002-05:00

Margery
by E. F. Benson
Garden City NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1911

"The central issue in Margery, by E. F. Benson, is whether a young woman, replete with the joy of living, can find happiness in marriage with a man who has never in his life known a passion warmer than his delight in Grecian urns and Tanagra figurines." (Review in The Bookman, Volume 34, 1912, p 311.)

Dr. Lavendar's People - by Margaret Deland

2010-12-02T08:29:00.003-05:00

Dr. Lavendar's People
by Margaret Deland
New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1903

In the fictional town of Old Chester, Pennsylvania Margaret Deland created a delightful series of short stories and novels. Reminiscent of Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell and the Mitford series by Jan Karon, the books are full of charm. Dr. Lavendar is the town's Episcopal minister. He was beloved by readers in Margaret Deland's time, his faith full of common sense, compassion, empathy and practicality. These novels and stories are delightful to read.

Washington Square - by Henry James

2010-12-01T11:14:00.002-05:00

Washington Square
by Henry James
New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1901

Originally published in 1880 in Cornhill Magazine and Harper's New Monthly Magazine.

John Ward, Preacher - By Margaret Deland

2010-11-29T16:35:00.002-05:00

John Ward, Preacher
by Margaret Deland
Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1888

A Presbyterian minister marries a young woman brought up as an Espicopalian. Published the same year as Robert Elsmere by Mrs. Humphry Ward and often compared to it.

Robert Elsmere - by Mrs. Humphry Ward

2010-11-26T19:07:00.002-05:00

Robert Elsmere
by Mrs. Humphry Ward
London: Macmillan and Company, 1888

An immensely popular novel, quickly selling over a million copies.

The Doll's Ghost - by F. Marion Crawford

2010-11-23T14:42:00.001-05:00

The Doll's Ghost
by F. Marion Crawford
In the short story collection Wandering Ghosts
New York: Macmillan Company, 1911

Famous American Belles of the Nineteenth Century

2010-11-19T20:06:00.003-05:00

Famous American Belles of the Nineteenth Century
By Virginia Tatnall Peacock
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1901

Marcia Burns (Mrs. John Peter Van Ness)
Theodosia Burr (Mrs. Joseph Alston)
Elizabeth Patterson (Madame Jerome Bonaparte)
The Caton Sisters
Margaret O'Neill (Mrs. John H. Eaton)
Cora Livingston (Mrs. Thomas Pennant Barton)
Emily Marshall (Mrs. William Foster Otis)
Octavia Walton (Madame Le Vert)
Fanny Taylor (Mrs. Thomas Harding Ellis)
Jessie Benton (Mrs. John C. Fremont)
Sallie Ward (Mrs. George F. Downs)
Harriet Lane (Mrs. Henry Elliott Johnston)
Adele Cutts (Mrs. Robert Williams)
Emilie Schaumburg (Mrs. Hughes-Hallett)
Kate Chase (Mrs. William Sprague)
Mattie Ould (Mrs. Oliver Schoolcraft)
Jennie Jerome (Lady Randolph Churchill)
Nellie Hazeltine (Mrs. Frederick W. Paramore)
Mary Victoria Leiter (Baroness Curzon of Kedleston)
New York as a Social Center

Beethoven - by John South Shedlock

2010-11-17T15:03:00.003-05:00

Beethoven
by John South Shedlock
London: George Bell & Sons, 1903

Ancient walls . . .

2010-11-16T20:28:00.002-05:00

Ancient walls that sing the distant hours.

From The Distant Hours
by Kate Morton
Page 67 of the ebook version.

This is a line written, as the story in the book goes, by Raymond Blythe and quoted to the protagonist, Edie Burchill, by her mother. I find it a beautiful image.

The Distant Hours - by Kate Morton

2010-11-16T16:18:00.002-05:00

The Distant Hours
by Kate Morton

I have begun reading The Distant Hours by Kate Morton, my first purchase for my new Sony PRS-950 e-reader, my second Sony e-reader, replacing my beloved 505. I love the 950 too.

The Distant Hours has captivated me in just a few pages. The protagonist, Edie Burchill, is the kind of person I would love to have as a friend. She works in a small publishing house on Notting Hill in London. She loves books, especially 19th century literature, and counts characters from those books among her friends. She carries a copy of Jane Eyre with her for those times she finds herself waiting in line.

I won't summarize the plot here. For one thing, I have just begun reading the book and don't know the plot. Also, I know you will enjoy the book if the description of Edie appeals to you. As I have said many times before, I want to care about the characters in the books I'm reading. If I don't care about them, I am not likely to finish the book. I do care about Edie and hope she will appeal to others as well.

The Eldest Son - by Archibald Marshall

2010-11-15T10:07:00.002-05:00

The Eldest Son
by Archibald Marshall
New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1911

Another of Archibald Marshall's delightful series about the Clinton family of Kencote. Marshall's novels have been compared to those of Anthony Trollope. In this second novel of the series, Dick, the eldest son of Squire Clinton, chooses a wife - and his father objects.

The first novel in the series is The Squire's Daughter.

Birthplace of Thomas Hardy

2010-11-11T17:02:00.004-05:00

The birthplace of Thomas Hardy
from Thomas Hardy's Wessex by Hermann Lea
London: Macmillan and Company, 1913, page xix

Sight Unseen - by Mary Roberts Rinehart

2010-11-11T16:12:00.002-05:00

Sight Unseen
By Mary Roberts Rinehart
New York: George H. Duran Company, 1921

Suicide or murder? A paranormal experience?

The Carlyles - by Mrs. Burton Harrison

2010-11-10T21:23:00.001-05:00

The Carlyles - A Story of the Fall of the Confederacy
by Mrs. Burton Harrison, aka Constance Cary Harrison
New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1906

The Confession by Mary Roberts Rinehart

2010-11-08T15:40:00.002-05:00

The Confession
by Mary Roberts Rinehart
Page 175 of Sight Unseen and The Confession
New York: The Review of Reviews Company, Publishers, 1921

A compelling read.

Country Life in Virginia (1903)

2010-11-07T20:49:00.002-05:00

"Country Life in Virginia"
by John Baron Carrington
Olympian Magazine, 1903

Illustrated with photos of historic Virginia homes.

The End of an Era - by John S. Wise

2010-11-06T22:02:00.002-04:00

The End of an Era
by John Sergeant Wise
Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company
The Riverside Press, 1899

I have begun reading this autobiography by the son of Virginia Governor Henry Wise, who was elected to the governorship in 1855. Son John was 9 when his father was elected governor and the family moved to the Governor's Mansion in Richmond. Although I have read that some of the facts in the book are wrong, I am enjoying reading about the antics of this lively boy in antebellum Richmond.

Winnie Davis

2010-11-04T18:01:00.004-04:00

In looking for information about Varina Anne "Winnie" Davis and her travels in Europe in 1890, I found the following photo in Book Notes, Volume I, July - December 1898. The middle initial J., as appears in the caption, probably refers to Jefferson. Called Winnie to distinguish her from her mother, Varina Howell Davis, Winnie died on September 18th, 1898 at the age of 34.

Lucia Dare - by Sarah Anne Dorsey

2010-11-04T16:44:00.002-04:00

Lucia Dare
by Sarah Anne Dorsey
New York: M. Doolady, Publisher, 1867

Sarah Anne Dorsey was a childhood friend of Varina Howell Davis. She was an ardent supporter of the Confederacy, and after the war she provided a home for Jefferson Davis and assisted him in writing his memoirs, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government. The home, called Beauvoir, in Biloxi, Mississippi, was willed to Jefferson Davis on the death of Mrs. Dorsey in 1879.

Northanger Abbey

2010-11-04T16:39:00.001-04:00

Northanger Abbey
by Jane Austen
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1903
Illustrated

Hester - by Mrs. Oliphant

2010-10-30T15:57:00.002-04:00

Hester
by Margaret Oliphant
New York: Macmillan & Co., 1883

Youth and energy versus age and experience.

Click the title at the beginning of this post or click here to read/download the book.

The Curate In Charge - by Mrs. Oliphant

2010-10-29T15:21:00.003-04:00

The Curate in Charge
By Margaret Oliphant
London: Macmillan and Co., 1883

Click the title at the beginning of this post or click here to read or download Mrs. Oliphant's novel about a failed priest.

Publishers' Trademarks (19th century)

2010-10-28T10:38:00.002-04:00

Publishers' Trade-marks
1st Paper
Book Buyer, Volume 5, 1888-89

This illultrated article describes the trademarks of several 19th century publishers. The Book Buyer was published by Charles Scribners' Sons and is a wonderful resource for those interested in 19th century literature.

Trademark

2010-10-27T08:52:00.002-04:00

I found the following in The Book Buyer, Volume 5, February 1888 to January 1889:

Pride and Prejudice - 1889 edition

2010-10-27T08:43:00.003-04:00

Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
New York: Frederick A. Stokes & Brother, 1889

From the title page - the publisher's trademark.

Click the title at the beginning of this post or click here to view/download the book.

Social Life in Richmond During the War

2010-10-24T08:42:00.002-04:00

Social Life in Richmond During the War
by Edward M. Alfriend
Cosmopolitan Magazine, Volume XII, 1891

A wonderful description of Richmond during the American Civil War, illustrated with several portraits. Well worth reading as the beginning of the sesquicentennial commemoration of the war approaches.

To read the article, click on the title at the beginning of this post, or click here.

Tales of Men and Ghosts by Edith Wharton

2010-10-22T10:20:00.004-04:00

Tales of Men and Ghosts
by Edith Wharton
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910

The Bolted Door
His Father's Son
The Daunt Diana
The Debt
Full Circle
The Legend
The Eyes
The Blond Beast
Afterward
The Letters

To download or read online, click the title or here.

A Belle of the Fifties - by Virginia Clay-Clopton

2010-10-18T15:26:00.002-04:00

A Belle of the Fifties
by Virginia Clay-Clopton
New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1904

Very entertaining memoir by Mrs. Clay, whose husband, Clement C. Clay, was imprisoned after the end of the American Civil War together with Jefferson Davis.

The Ghost in the Mill - by Harriet Beecher Stowe

2010-10-17T17:26:00.001-04:00

The Ghost in the Mill
A short story by Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart

2010-10-15T17:33:00.003-04:00

The Circular Staircase
by Mary Roberts Rinehart
New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1908

Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1958) was an American mystery writer often compared to Agatha Christie.

The Gates Ajar - by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

2010-10-14T16:28:00.003-04:00

The Gates Ajar
by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
Boston: Fields, Osgood, & Co.
1869

A popular novel about life after death, giving comfort to those who had lost husbands, sons or brothers in the American Civil War.